A person appointed in a will to carry out the deceased's wishes, manage the estate, pay debts, and distribute assets to beneficiaries. They have a fiduciary duty to act in the estate's best interests.
From Latin 'executor' meaning 'one who carries out,' derived from 'exsequi' (to follow out, accomplish). The term emphasized the executor's role in 'executing' or carrying out the deceased's final wishes as expressed in the will.
Being an executor is like being the CEO of a company that's going out of business—you have enormous power and responsibility to wrap up all affairs, but your job is to work yourself out of a job by distributing everything and closing down the estate!
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